Needle butt puller



March 'l4, 1939. H. M. SMITH 2,150,253

) NEEDLE BUTT FULLER Filed Oct. 19, 1957 ZSheets-Sheet 1 ...'-'"Ha I'O1dM 93:4 fi t X i March 14, 1-939.

H. M. SMITH 2,150,253

NEEDLEBUTT FULLER Fiied on. 19, 19557 2 sheets-sheet 2 HM v. I I v 1H Wmm 'IIHHII Harold M. Snail]; "dam y' g v v W Patented Mar. 14, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved needle butt pullerfor use on knitting machines for removing the butts of broken needleswithout necessitating removal of the needle plate from the machine, ashas been the usual and necessary custom heretofore.

It is also an object of my invention in having a novel adjustable hookend which permits of its being adjusted to operate in a minimum spaceand at angles that the old needle butt puller was not adapted to operatewhereby much time will be saved to the operator in replacing brokenneedles. As most of the knitte'rs work on piece work basis, any savingof their time is, of course, to their financial advantage as well as tothe advantage of the operator of the factory.

I attain the objects of my invention by the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front plan view of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side or edge view of same;

Fig. 3 is a side or edge view showing the method of using the implementat the outset of the operation of removing the broken needle butt;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the needle butt as it is being pushedout from its socket by the implement; and

Fig. 5 is a view of the method of extracting the needle butt after ithas been partly pushed out from its seat.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in each of the severalviews.

Referring to the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a portion ofthe knitting machine, namely, the base I, an upright portion of needlebar 2 carrying a needle plate bolt 3. Afiixed to the portion 2 of theneedle bar is the needle carrying plate 5 from which depends a strip 6which functions as a socket for the shank or butt of the needle end. Idesignates the needle plate the lower end of which is adapted to seat inthe recess 4 of needle bar I, the upper end of the needle plate beingdesignated 8. Needle butt puller ID has an enlarged portion 9 at itscenter and at one end has a hook I2 adjustably connected by screw I I tothe other end of member I0. The function of the enlarged portion 9 ofthe implement is to facilitate grasping and operating it. The arrows inFigs. 3, 4, and 5 indicate the direction of operation of the implement.The hook I2 has an offset end portion I3 to engage the end of the needlebutt. The needle butt puller has a slightly curved split or bifurcatedend I4, each leg of said bifurcated end being slightly rounded at itsfoot, as shown in Fig. 1.

In use the needle butt puller is inserted in the manner shown in Fig. 3with the hook end I2 in position so that its offset end I3 can bepressed against the butt end of the needle and to force it out of thestrip of metal or socket 6. A needle always breaks at the bent portion,as indicated in Fig. 3. When the needle butt has been pressed outwardly,as shown in Fig. 4, the implement may then be withdrawn and reversed andits split end I4 engaged on the needle to pull it out Very much as atack is lifted out with a tack puller, as shown in Fig. 5.

The main object of this new type of needle butt puller is itsadaptability to any angle necessary to get in behind a needle butt. Theold needle butt puller which this invention supersedes is simply a hookand is large and cumbersome and requires more space for its use and isnot adaptable to angles.

Knitting machines in connection with which this implement is used areput up in sections and are some fifty feet long when assembled and mayhave from eighteen to thirty sections. Each needle bar holds some fiftyneedles closely spaced in the needle bar one after the other. While goodneedles may be removed without the use of the needle butt puller, wherethe needles are broken off as they often are, it is necessary that theknitter use the needle butt puller in order to extract the broken buttand replace it with a new needle.

What I claim is:

1. A needle butt puller comprising a bar having a hook end pivotally andadjustably affixed to one end of the implement, said hook end having anoffset portion to engage the projecting end of the broken needle butt.

2. A needle butt puller comprising a bar, and a hook end pivotally andadjustably affixed to the other end of the implement, said implementhaving a widened center portion to facilitate grasping the implement foroperating it.

HAROLD M. SMITH.

